The air in the pen was heavy, thick with the musk of unwashed bodies, old blood, and spice dust that clung to everything. Kaelen lay against the cold stone wall, his knees drawn to his chest, pretending to rest as the others drifted off one by one. His body wanted nothing more than to collapse into oblivion, but his mind refused to stay quiet. Every time he closed his eyes, the blue glow stirred in the darkness, as though the System itself waited for his command.
He gave in to the pull. His lips barely moved as he whispered, "Status."
The blue words appeared instantly, clear against the shadows.
[Status]
Name: Kaelen Veyar
Age: 6 (Biological) | 25 (Mental)
Race: Human
Alignment: Neutral (Hidden)
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 3
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 9
Willpower: 7
Charisma: 4
Luck: 3
Skills: None
Titles: Reincarnated, System Bearer
Quests: None Active
Weak. Barely above helpless. His old self—full-grown, twenty-five, strong enough to hold his own—would have laughed bitterly at numbers like these. But he wasn't that man anymore. This body was small, fragile, starved. His only advantage was the mind that had carried over, and this strange, glowing system tethered to him like a ghost.
The words pulsed once, faintly.
[Reminder: Growth requires struggle.]
Kaelen let out a low chuckle that sounded more like a cough. Struggle. He didn't need reminding. Every breath here was struggle. Every step in the spice tunnels. Every moment of keeping his head down while the guards swung their whips. But there was a promise in those words too. Struggle wasn't just suffering. Struggle meant progress.
He whispered again, "Skills."
[Skills: None.]
Tip: Skills may be acquired through repetition, training, or mission completion.]
So he had to earn everything. No shortcuts, no free lightsaber, no miracle. But wasn't that better? In a way, it was honest. Every drop of sweat he shed, every bruise he took, could become something permanent. Something real.
He let the glow fade and closed his eyes. Sleep took him like a thief, quick and brutal, dragging him down before he could think any further.
The crack of a whip woke him. Morning came with shouted orders and the clatter of boots. Kaelen groaned as he sat up, body aching in every joint, but his lungs didn't burn as much as yesterday. The tiny increase in Endurance was already working. He could feel it.
The girl with dark hair was watching him again. She hadn't spoken much, but her eyes were sharp, too sharp for someone her age. When their gazes met, she muttered, "You smile in your sleep."
Kaelen blinked. "Do I?"
"You did last night," she said, before looking away as if embarrassed by the observation.
He didn't answer, but inside, a quiet pride stirred. Even here, in chains, with death around every corner, he had smiled. Because he had seen the numbers change. Because he knew he wasn't trapped forever.
The gates groaned open, and the guards shoved them out into the tunnels. Kaelen fell into line, cart in front of him, and forced his tired legs forward. He had a new goal now: survive, observe, grow.
The mines stretched on like a nightmare, veins of glittering spice crawling along the walls like infected wounds. Slaves hacked at them with picks, loaded the carts, dragged them through the tunnels to the waiting lifts. The air shimmered with dust, burning every breath. Whips cracked to keep the rhythm, sending arcs of pain through the bodies of those who faltered.
Kaelen pushed his cart, head low, eyes darting. The guards worked in pairs. One carried the whip, the other the rifle. Their armor wasn't stormtrooper white; it was dull gray, patched, rough. Disposable men, watching disposable slaves. Their boots clanged against the stone with casual cruelty.
He noted every detail. The shift changes. The way the guards favored their right side when walking. The way the rifles weren't always charged. Even here, information mattered.
Hours blurred together. His arms screamed, his back throbbed, his lungs begged for mercy. He pushed anyway, forcing one foot in front of the other. Every step was an investment. Every drop of sweat another notch toward survival.
When his strength waned, he thought of the galaxy beyond. Of ships soaring through hyperspace, of Mandalorian armor gleaming under twin suns, of Jedi cloaks billowing as sabers hissed to life. He thought of Sabine Wren, barely older than him, still a child somewhere in this vast galaxy. He thought of Ezra Bridger, a boy his same age who would one day find the Ghost crew. They were out there, free, alive. He just had to reach the time when their stories began.
By the time they were herded back into the pen, Kaelen was half-dead on his feet. He collapsed against the wall, chest heaving, sweat and dust caked into his skin.
The blue glow flickered.
[Daily Progress Recorded.]
Strength +1
Endurance +1
It was small. A spark in the darkness. But Kaelen grinned anyway, teeth flashing in the dim light. He felt the difference already—his body might still be frail, but it was less breakable than yesterday. And tomorrow, it would be stronger still.
The girl beside him turned her head. "Why are you smiling?" she asked, almost accusing.
Kaelen shrugged lightly. "Because I'm still alive."
She studied him for a long moment, then muttered, "Strange boy," before closing her eyes.
Strange. Maybe. But strange was what would keep him alive.
That night, Kaelen pushed further. He whispered, "Missions."
The air shimmered.
[No Active Missions.]
Generating…]
A pause. Then new text appeared.
[Mission: Survive Seven Days]
Objective: Endure within the mines for seven consecutive days.
Reward: +5 Endurance, +1 Skill Unlock (Random).
Penalty: Death (Failure).
Kaelen's heart hammered in his chest. The System wasn't playing games. The stakes were carved into the glowing words: survive or die. But the reward—five Endurance. A skill. That was real power.
He clenched his fists, feeling the tremor in his weak hands. He could do this. He had to.
The next day, everything went wrong.
The shift was harsher, the guards meaner. One of them, a thickset man with a scar across his jaw, seemed to have taken a particular dislike to the children. His whip cracked often, landing on small backs, small arms, small faces. Kaelen kept his head down, but when the girl beside him stumbled, the whip lashed out.
She cried out, collapsing against the cart. The guard raised the whip again.
Kaelen moved before he thought.
His small hands caught the girl's arm, dragging her upright. He shoved the cart forward with his shoulder, taking her weight as though helping her was his only intent. He kept his head bowed, hiding his eyes. "Sorry, sir," he muttered quickly, voice trembling like a frightened child. "She slipped."
The guard's eyes narrowed. For a moment, Kaelen thought the whip would fall on him instead. His heart pounded, the world narrowing to the crackle of energy in that coiled weapon.
Then the man snorted. "Keep her on her feet, boy. She falls again, you both get it."
Kaelen bowed his head lower. "Yes, sir."
The whip withdrew, and the guard moved on. Kaelen exhaled slowly, his chest shaking.
The girl stared at him, wide-eyed. He avoided her gaze, pushing the cart with her leaning against it. He couldn't explain. He wouldn't explain. His secret was his alone. But if he had the power to keep one person alive, even for a day longer, wasn't that worth it?
That night, the System glowed again.
[Action Noted: Compassionate Intervention.]
Hidden Statistic Unlocked: Morality.]
Current Value: Neutral (51/100).
Kaelen frowned at the new text. Morality? What did that mean? Would it shape his path? Would it chain him, or free him?
The words faded before he could think too deeply.
He lay back against the wall, bruised and exhausted, but alive. The girl was asleep already, her breath steady. Around them, the other children shifted and muttered in their sleep.
Kaelen closed his eyes, letting the faint afterimage of blue glow dance behind his lids.
Step by step. Day by day. Survive seven days, and he'd have his first true reward. Survive ten years, and he'd be ready when the galaxy caught fire.
He would not die in this pit. He would not be forgotten.
He was Kaelen Veyar. Reincarnated, system bearer, and future enemy of the Empire.
And this was only the beginnin